Fall Sports

Boulder cross country coach Monique Guidry, center, talks to her athletes at a race in 2010.
(
CLIFF GRASSMICK
)

BOULDER -- As Monique Guidry gets set to help overhaul the Boulder Valley School District's physical education department and try to steer it toward a wellness approach, the longtime coach has wondered lately if she's a good model for such a curriculum.

One thing became clear during her introspection: She didn't have enough balance in her own life.

So after 17 years as Boulder High's head cross country coach, Guidry decided to take a step back. She resigned her coaching post on Monday.

"I don't think people get how consuming coaching is," Guidry said. "It takes over your life. It's a joyful thing. I absolutely have loved it and lived it. ... But it's also kind of time to make some changes."

First and foremost, Guidry wants to spend more time with her aging parents, who live in Erie. But she also wants to be able to devote plenty of attention to the changes in BVSD's physical education department.

Guidry is in her 21st year overall at BHS and plans to keep teaching for five more. Before taking over the cross country program, she served as an assistant.

She also was an assistant for the BHS girls basketball team for the 1991-92 season. Before BHS, she coached Merino to a state title in girls basketball in addition to various assistant coaching roles in cross country at Stephen F. Austin State University, Northern Colorado and Northeastern Junior College.

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Guidry enjoyed some of her greatest success with the Panthers in recent years. The BHS girls squad was state runner-up in 2009 and 2010, and Kelsey Lakowske won a pair of individual state titles over that span. Those highlights are among numerous other top-10 finishes on both the boys and girls sides over the years.

"I have been tremendously blessed," Guidry said.

Guidry had actually informed Boulder athletic director Melissa Warfield in August that the 2012 season would be her last.

"I've had four months to prepare and it's still hard to hear," Warfield said.

Warfield said she'll likely wait until after the first of the year to begin searching for Guidry's replacement given that she's got some time to wait and get a better idea if any teaching positions will be open to offer the new coach.

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